413047-Underground-Commercial-Sex-Economy

As the preceding chapter discussed, relationships with employees, 63 sometimes governed by rules
maintained through management and discipline, enable pimps to control sex workers within the
underground economy. Similarly, networks between pimps, as well as relationships with law enforcement
and legal businesses, facilitate business growth and endurance. The following chapter considers the
operational side of pimping, emphasizing the tools and practices that enable businesses to function and
reach clients on a day-to-day basis. The central role of advertisement is first considered. Next, methods of
communication, between employees as well as with clients, are explored. We then report respondent
practices regarding business size, hours of operation, frequency of transactions, rates and pricing
structures, forms of payment, legal business fronts, operational costs, and money laundering practices.
We conclude with an exploration of respondents’ perceptions on changes within the underground sex
market over the course of their involvement.
Main Findings from this Chapter Include:
Advertisement: Pimps employed multiple tools to advertise the sex trade. Common methods and venues of
advertisement included online advertisement, walking on the stroll, word of mouth, local print newspapers and
phonebooks, business cards, and directly approaching customers in business establishments.
Communication: Pimps maintained frequent communication with their employees by phone, text, and in-person
conversation. Communications were intended to ensure employee safety, maintain control and oversight, and provide
updates on business operations. Written communications, particularly texts, can make pimps susceptible to law
enforcement detection, and many pimps utilized code or avoid written communication altogether to mitigate risks and
evade the police.
Rates and pricing structures: Rates varied dramatically across respondents. Price was most commonly determined by
amount of time, single date, and/or sex act.
Forms of payment: While some respondents reported accepting credit cards, drugs, and merchandise as payment, sex
work remains a primarily cash economy. Sixty-six percent of respondents reported accepting cash only.
Operational costs: The costs of operating and facilitating sex work varied greatly across pimps, though this study
identifies some common costs. Pimps routinely covered costs associated with employee housing, transportation, employee
appearance and personal appearance, advertisements, and hotels and motels. Other business-related legal expenses
included bail, and costs associated with arrests and prosecution on charges related to pimping.
Advertisement
It could be every kind of situation. It could be online, it could be at a club or bar. I knew
a friend of mine, she met a guy when we were in the line for financial aid. (E16)
Advertisement is essential to pimps in order to gain clientele, and respondents employed different
methods to attract customers. With the growth of Internet advertising and social media, methods to
connect with customers have become increasingly diverse. One pimp explained, “Everywhere has a stroll.
Online, offline, at the store” (C8).
Given the wide-ranging clientele reportedly engaging in the UCSE, a number of different methods of
advertisement were employed by pimps. Preference was largely shaped by notions of where the most
money could be made, which methods lessened the likelihood of law enforcement detection and
prosecution, and what outlets provided the most safety for employees. Popular methods of advertisement
included online advertisements, local newspapers, business cards, social media, as well as pandering at
physical locations such as bars, dance clubs, strip clubs, and the “stroll” to meet potential clients. While
some offenders reported preferences for different advertising arenas, many worked through multiple
venues: “Even if you’re on the Internet, you still go through the blade and sweat some bitches” (B3). Table
63 Throughout this chapter, the men and women who were compelled to sell commercial sex acts for respondents are referred to as
“employees” based on the format of the study’s interview protocol, which approached pimping and its related structure and networks
as a business.
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